Frozen North

 It was very cold overnight and there was a thick frost on the ground this morning. The car was coasted in a thick layer of frost and the doors needed a good tug to get them open. After the traditional cousins' (always an opportunity to wind up a socialist cousin) the Gorse Fox explained that we were travelling to the North today. Yorkshire? No. Derbyshire? No. We were going to Newbury, which by the Gorse Fox's reckoning is on the dividing line between not and south (that line being the the M4). He also explained that he would take a few lumps of coal in case he needed to barter with any northern folk while there.

Before we set off, the Gorse Fox had to disconnect the old phone and connect the nice new phone to the car. This took longer that seemed necessary but was eventually all sorted. With the phone plugged in and Google Maps fired up, we headed for frozen reaches of east-west passage (M4). It seems that wherever you drive, at present, you hit long term roadworks. While this is immensely frustrating, it is good to see maintenance being performed on the roads. It just seems that it would be so much more convenient if they would clear them out of the way on days when we are travelling.

We arrived at The Craven Arms just after midday. The car park was full of Ford Mustangs as the "club" were on their regular meet-up over lunch. The Skoda seemed out of place.  Denise and Dom arrived soon after (in a Ford Focus). We spent the next four hours enjoying a lovely meal, gallons of coffee, and lots of family chat. 

The Silver Vixen had a chicken carbonara which would have fed all four of us and the Gorse Fox had a venison steak with forester potatoes. The portions were epic.

We had a much quicker run home (maybe because it was downhill) and are now settling down for the evening.